Columbia man gets almost 50 years in prison for drug overdose death

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A judge sentenced a Columbia man to nearly a half-century in prison after he was convicted of manslaughter and other crimes in a 2020 fentanyl overdose.

A jury convicted Kennis Shepperd-Dickson, 44, last month on charges of second-degree involuntary manslaughter, delivery of heroin and fentanyl, second-degree drug trafficking and methamphetamine possession.

Shepperd-Dickson was charged in the Sept. 4, 2020, death of a 29-year-old by cardiac arrest. Investigators tracked down Shepperd-Dickson using information found on the victim's phone, according to court documents. Police say he confessed to dealing the drugs that killed the victim.

Judge Jeff Harris sentenced Shepperd-Dickson to 15 years apiece on the drug dealing charges, seven years for manslaughter and 10 years for drug possession, according to online court records.